Thomas a



T. A. GOODWIN.

I STAIR ROD SEOURER. No. 347,792. Patented Aug. 24, 1886.

i (No Model.)

iran STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. GOODV IN, OF CAMDEN, NEXV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EMS DISMANT,

OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,792, dated August 24, 1886.

Application filed January 4, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. Goonwlrta citizen of the United States, and a resident of Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Stair-Rod Fasteners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in no the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of my improved [5 fastener, showing the same in position for clamping the rod against the stair and earpet. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on line 00 m. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fastener detached, and Fig. 4 illustrates the manner of releasing the fastener from the rod.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to devices for fastening orlocking stair-rods; and it consists 2 in the improved device, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, which can be easily operated and used with any ordinary stair-rod. At the same time the fastener may be readily applied to the 0 stair by any person without the use of ascrewdriver or any other implement.

In the accompanying drawings, A denotes a stair-rod of the ordinary construction, and

' provided with overturned edges or flanges B B. The fastener consists of four partsviz., a

gimlet-pointed screw, C, a shoulder or eccentric, D, a shank, E, and a rounded head,

F, which also serves for a handle in operating the device. The shoulder D is rounded,

40 as shown at d, where it bears against the upper overturned rim of the rod,-and the shank is made wedge-shaped or tapered toward its lower end, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The fastener may be readily fastened in its 5 proper position in the stairs simply by placing the point of the screw against the riser, and then turning the shank until the screw has been forced into the wood the proper distance, or until the inner side of the shoulder bears against the wood. Care should of course be taken toplace the fasteners a sufficient distance apart to permit of the carpet being placed between them, and after this Serial No. 187,545. (No model.)

has been done, and the rods have been placed in their proper position, the latter are fastened by turning the shanks from the horizon tal position shown in Fig. 4 down into the vertical position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,

in which position the rounded shoulder or eccentric D d will bear against the upper edge 6 of the rod with considerable pressure, so as to lock it firmly against the carpet. By making the shank 1C tapering or of a wedge shape sufficient room will be left between it and the stair-riser for any ordinary thickness of carpet and padding, as the lower part of the rod may give or yield in an outward direction, and still be firmly clamped at its upper edge by the eccentric shoulder D.

It is obvious that the same device may be used, in substantially the same manner, for fastening the carpets upon floors by making the rods in sections of sufficient length to cover the sides of the room near the floor, each section being provided with two or more fasteners, so as to clamp or bind therod firmly against the carpet which they are designed to hold.

Intheaccompanyingdrawings I haveshowu the head or handle F in the form of a star; but it is obvious that any other design may be used for this purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention, and also that this handle may be made either in one piece with the device or separate from it, as taste or expediency may suggest.

Having thus described myinvention,I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- A'stair-rod fastener consisting of the fol- 9Q lowing parts, viz: a gimlet-point-ed screw, a wedge shaped shank projecting from the head of the screw and at right angles to the same, a rounded shoulder or offset between the head of the screw and said shank, and a suitable ornamental knob or handle at the free end of the shank, said several parts being constructed in one or more pieces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS A. GOODWIN.

YVitnesses:

CHRISTOPHER 0. SMITH, GEORGE S. HUNT. 

